Another Side of You
by Hopeless-Romantic-Daydreamer
Summary: This is my sequel to "As You Wish".  What happens when Lettie's past comes back to bite her in the butt?  Will her marriage to Rossi survive?  Dark content for the first bit.  Please read disclaimer for Ch 1 to understand!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or their characters. I just own Lettie, my other OCs and the plot of this story. **

_**A/N: This new story is the SEQUEL to "As You Wish", which was my first ever FanFic. If you haven't read it yet, I strongly recommend that you do. This will take place right after the final chapter of "As You Wish". The OCs in this story are carried over from the first story.**_

_**To those who have read "As You Wish": **_

_**We're about to learn a lot more about Lettie and her past. **_

_**This story is still Rossi centric (more or less) but the rest of the team will appear in time.**_

_**THIS IS A MATURE THEMED STORY. 'M' RATING WAS REQUIRED. THE 'M' RATING STARTS IN THIS CHAPTER WITH DESCRIPTION OF THE VICTIMS DEMISE AND MOTIVE.**_

_**THERE IS MUCH EXPLICIT CONTENT. THE LITTLE KNOWN WORLD OF BDSM IS THE CENTRAL POINT OF THE INITIAL CASE. THIS IS NOT FOR EVERYONE, I UNDERSTAND.**_

_**Should you read this story, please read and review.**_

_**Thank you!**_

_**Love always,**_

_**Nicole**_

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><p>Lettie was very uneasy about this latest case. It wouldn't end well if she couldn't solve it. With that in mind, she feared that she'd have to reopen a dark chapter of her past to solve it. She turned to face her husband who was in the driver's seat. So far, she didn't think he suspected anything. She prayed it would stay that way. She grabbed her Blackberry and texted Amie.<p>

"What made u choose this case?"

Amie replied with: "It was in our backyard."

Lettie sighed. Amie was right. All the cases C-BAT (Canadian Behavioral Analysis Team) had taken on so far, were across Canada. They'd always had to travel, now they were needed in their own city.

"Everything okay, bella?" Dave asked. He was worried. Even with the fact that his wife was expecting again, there was something that was off. He just hoped she'd tell him what was bothering him, because he couldn't help her any if she kept him in the dark. He always worried about her. He knew her life before they'd met was complicated. He understood that. It had come back and almost killed her once. In the end, it had almost taken both of their lives. Chills crawled up his spine at the memories. That had happened shortly after they'd married.

"I'm fine Dave. Just surprised that we're expecting again." She was telling the truth. She was getting ever so close to thirty. She knew women had babies well into their 30s, her mother was a prime example, but she didn't want to for risks skyrocketed at that point.

"Are you happy?" He asked. He was thrilled. Even though they already had three children, he loved the idea of a big family.

She nodded. "Of course. Just have to balance the wacked out hormones while working this case."

He took her hand and kissed it. "It'll all work out." He turned the truck into the city's coroner's office parking lot. "Let's get started."

She nodded softly and slowly got out of the truck. The rest of the team pulled in behind them. The city's police chief stood at the doors waiting for them.

"Chief Blair." Lettie extended her hand. "I'm SSA Lettie Rossi." She pointed to her husband. "SSA David Rossi." She then pointed to each member of her team in introduction.

"I'm sorry to have to meet under these circumstances." He shook each of their hands. "I know that this is only the second victim, but the similarities are uncanny."

"We understand." Lettie nodded. "Dave and I will take autopsy. Amie, take someone and set up victimology and figure out his hunting ground. The rest of you, divide and conquer the dump sites."

The others took off, while Chief Blair escorted Lettie and Dave to meet the chief coroner for autopsy. Lettie braced herself for a quick flashback to her past, and she knew that it wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Dr. Anne Sauvageau." The police chief said. "Meet SSAs Lettie and Dave Rossi. Their from C-BAT on the case."

The middle-aged woman approached. She shook each of their hands. "Thank you Chief Blair. I think we'll be fine on our own."

The balding police chief nodded and quickly left.

Dave turned to the medical examiner. "What was that all about?"

"This case is twisted, to put it lightly." The coroner stated. "The chief has seen enough to last him twenty lifetimes."

Dave and Lettie both understood. There were just some cases that seeing the body once was more than enough. From the pictures they'd been sent, Dave knew and Lettie cringed that this was definitely one of those cases. The coroner led them to the autopsy suite. The room was cold, and filled with stainless steel. It was clean and reeked of cleaning chemicals. The only things standing out were the two bodies on the center tables of the suite. The coroner approached the first body.

Lettie took one look at either victim and she could almost pinpoint what had happened. She wanted to be sick. She swallowed deeply and breathed through her mouth slowly. She needed to calm down, otherwise she'd give it all away.

"You alright dear?" Dr. Sauvageau looked at Lettie, concerned.

Lettie nodded. "Yea. I just have to deal with morning sickness on top of the job."

The coroner was shocked. "You're pregnant and still doing this?"

The couple nodded.

"You are determined."

"You have no idea." Dave added. "So can you tell us what happened?"

"Cause of death is asphyxiation." The coroner pulled the sheet down a little. "Extreme amounts of abuse were withstood by both victims. Extensive bruising of the arms, legs, and breasts are noted. My best guess is it was caused by rope."

Lettie looked at the poor woman that lay on these cold tables. Had she kept on with her past, she could've ended up like this. She swallowed again and prayed that the nausea would leave her.

"Anything else?" Dave asked. He hadn't noticed that Lettie was extremely uncomfortable at the moment.

"Both women were either raped, or endured extremely painful rough sex. There's tears and bruising in the vaginal and anal walls."

"Both?" Lettie gaped.

The coroner nodded sadly. "Yes. The women endured hours of torture. Whips, crops, paddles and canes left obvious bruising on the most sensitive parts of their bodies." She pointed to the inside of the thighs, breasts and suggested that their rears had been targets of the abuse as well.

"Dear God." Dave breathed. "This UNSUB is a monster. One of the worst I'll have ever had to deal with."

Lettie nodded. She was getting very nauseous. She hoped the coroner would finish soon. "Anything different?"

"The second victim showed signs of some electroshock sex play as well." She covered the victims once again. "I know it's not my place, but this monster is one sick son of a bitch."

"Oh, trust us, we can see that." Dave said before thanking her for her time. "If we can get the reports, we'll be on our way."

The coroner nodded and went to get the files. Once they had them, they thanked her again and they went to meet up with Amie and her partner. The whole way Lettie tried to come up with an explanation, because she knew she'd be needing one very, very soon.

"What did the coroner give you?" Amie asked as Dave and Lettie entered their workspace.

Lettie didn't stop, she headed straight to the bathroom. Dave didn't stop her from going. He answered the question. "This guy is one sick puppy."

Amie nodded and went to leave. "I'll go check on the boss."

Dave thanked her and sat down with the autopsy reports. He filled out Post-Its and handed them to Dominic, Amie's main partner. He'd put them on the board. Once the rest of the team would arrive, they'd add more information and hopefully it would give them a profile to work with.

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><p><em><strong>Women's bathroom….<strong>_

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><p>"Boss?" Amie asked.<p>

"I'm fine Amie." Lettie moaned.

"You don't sound fine." She went to the stall where Lettie was bent over the toilet bowl. "Was it that bad in autopsy?"

"It wasn't autopsy that caused this… well not completely." She sighed. She flushed the toilet and exited the stall. "You add morning sickness to what that sicko did, you get this."

"Does Dave know?"

Lettie nodded. "Yeah, but I can still do this case."

"Are you sure, boss?" Amie handed Lettie some paper towel.

Lettie sighed. "I don't know. Let's go see if the rest of the team is here and we can go over our findings."

The two women left the bathroom and headed back in hopes that maybe finding this guy would be easier than any other because of his distinct motive and type and style. Lettie laughed to herself. "Wishful thinking. That world is more tightlipped than Al-Qaeda. This is going to be a long one." She kept those thoughts to herself. She only prayed that the person responsible wasn't the one that she'd be calling in to get them the inside scoop.

When they joined the others in the boardroom, they saw that everyone was there. This was going to be interesting. They got info on the dumpsites, and it wasn't overly helpful.

Julian looked to his boss. With a slight French accent, he said. "Both dumpsites were the same. Slightly wooded areas that were well used, showing that the UNSUB wanted the body found sooner, rather than later."

His partner, Cerise nodded. She said, softly. "He hadn't even covered the bodies in more than a light tarp that unrolled as the body rolled down the inclines. It was the shock factor for the person who stumbled upon the body."

Dave continued to write on the Post-Its and handed them to Dominic. Dom was the "Dr. Spencer Reid" of this team. He could figure stuff out with little difficulty. He was trying to put links together, but even for him it was difficult.

"Well, on our end we found the same thing." TJ (the Derek Morgan of C-BAT) said. "He's not leaving any physical evidence."

"So we have a sadistic serial killer, who likes to use bondage and S & M and leaves no evidence." Dave stated looking up from his note pad.

"Basically." TJ shrugged his shoulders.

TJ's silent partner, Meg, finally spoke. "If he's into S & M, we don't find him easily. That world is very exclusive."

Dominic agreed. "Meg has a point."

Dave turned to his wife. "Lettie? You have anything to add?"

She sighed. "A lot. Actually."

Everyone waited for her to speak again.

"Care to share?" Dave asked walking towards her.

She didn't mean to pull away, but it happened on instinct. "You'll hate me."

"Bella, how can we hate you? You're not the UNSUB." Dave tried to brush a tear from her cheek.

"I may not be the UNSUB but I know him better than you'd think."

"How can you possibly know the UNSUB, boss?" TJ cracked.

"I may not know him per say, but I will tell you this, the torture those victims endured, I used to endure for pleasure."

The whole room went silent. All eyes were upon her.

"I was a submissive partner in an S & M relationship. I understand that world more than any profiler could ever imagine."

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><p><em><strong>Okay, so I leave Ch.1 as a cliffy, but I kinda need to for the story to keep it's pace. If the details were too much, let me know, I can try to ease up. This came as a dare from my boyfriend to write on something that no had before, and I don't think that there are too many Fanfics with this theme.<strong>_

_**On the bright side, this isn't the whole story. I will explain their home life, the pregnancy, the children and even bring back our other favorite profilers.**_

_**Currently, I'm trying not to freeze in the blizzard that's currently hitting us here in Alberta. Please read and review.**_

_**Love always**_

_**Nicole**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: So back to a new chapter. I know that the last one was a bit of a cliffy. No one saw that coming huh?**_

_**I'll try to be a little less graphic this time around.**_

_**I'm thankful to those who've reviewed this story so far.**_

_**Onto the chapter.**_

_**Love always,**_

_**Nicole**_

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><p>"<em>I was a submissive partner in an S &amp; M relationship. I understand that world more than any profiler could ever imagine."<em>

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><p>Everyone's jaw dropped. Dave looked at his wife as if she were an alien from another planet. At the same time, he didn't know what to say. Anyone he'd ever met involved with that world ended up a delinquent in some way, shape or form. Yet here was his wife, the mother of his children, and she was admitting to having lived that life before.<p>

"Boss?" Dom said softly.

She shook her head. "Look, I know how people see that world as evil and that anyone belonging to it has some sort of brain damage or something. It's not true. More people are into it than you could ever possibly imagine. It's a different life, yes. Is it conventional? No. Does it make everyone who participates in it a monster?" She took a deep breath. "No. I'm not a monster like the criminals we hunt down every day. I can't tell you why people do it, because for every person it's a different reason." The silence in the room was deafening. She swore she could hear a pin drop and it would've echoed like a crash of thunder. "Look, I know you may not approve, but it was my PAST. It's come to bite me in the ass more than once in the past 5 years than I'd care to count, but I live with it. I'm still the leader of this team, and this doesn't change how badly I want to catch this monster. Judge me all you want, but we're going to get more intel if you cooperate with me and let me give insight. Hell, I could call up some old connections, see if they can't get us some idea of who might be behind this."

The team, even Dave, couldn't argue with her there. If she truly knew this world, than it would be working in their favor. She also had the point that she wasn't a monster. She was kind, compassionate and loving and that would never change.

"Look every elephant is grey, but not every grey thing is an elephant." She sighed. "Let's put it this way not every person in the S & M world is going to turn out to be a serial killer, but a killer like this is definitely in the S & M world."

"Okay boss. We get it." TJ stood up. "We can't judge you for the person you were back then, because to be honest, none of us knew you yet. The woman we've come to know as our friend and boss, you're nothing like those people. If you can help us catch this guy because of it than great."

Other voices murmured in agreement. Lettie turned to face Dave. She wanted to know how he felt.

"Dave?'" She asked.

"I don't understand why you couldn't tell me?" He said simply.

"Dave, think about all the books you've written on profiling and cases you've solved." Julian said carefully. "Everything you've written on them states that their involvement in S & M is the reason they were killers. Lettie probably assumed you'd react the same way with her."

Dave thought about it. Dom had a point. He wanted to talk to Lettie in private. "We'll take a break. I'd like to talk to Lettie, then we'll rejoin and get as much info as we can after."

The team nodded and slowly filed out of the room to leave the couple some privacy to discuss obvious issues that had arisen.

Lettie sat in the nearest chair. She had a feeling this may not end as well as it could.

Dave shut the door to the boardroom. "Can you explain?"

She sighed. "Yeah. Not sure if it'll make sense to you though."

"Try bella."

She took a deep breath. "After Joe, I figured all I was worth was being someone's sex toy. I wasn't good enough for a relationship or anything."

"I thought Brennan had come into the picture by then."

"As a friend. He did want to date me until later."

Dave nodded. "Okay, I'm following."

"I decided to go out with the guy I met at the book store. We'd talk about a bunch of different stuff. Sex was one of the topics." She said carefully. "I'd been fascinated by the world, mainly the aspect of anal. So I asked if he'd be willing to teach me. He said yes, and for the next six or seven months, I would be bound, gagged, spanked, and had other things done to me. As weird as it sounds, it actually felt good. There are certain things that I refused to do, and he accepted those rules."

"When did it stop?"

"When I realized that it was solely a sexual relationship, and Brennan had told me by this point that he cared about me, I ended it, and that was about a month after the last time I had participated in such an activity."

This made sense to Dave. Lettie's late husband, Brennan, had died in combat overseas serving as a Navy SEAL. He didn't strike Dave as a man who would be into that kind of thing. "So you hid it. But why couldn't you tell me about this?"

"Because I was terrified that if anyone found out, they'd judge me as a sicko." She felt a tear of shame slide down her cheek. "That and I was terrified that if you knew, you'd leave. I'd lose everything I love."

He felt her pain. "I couldn't leave you. Yes, I'll admit I'm a little miffed that you couldn't tell me the truth and that you hid this from me, but I love you Lettie. Unless you're secretly joining in on these activities behind my back, I won't leave. I can't truly understand why you'd allow someone to hit you for pleasure, but I know the real you, is the you I married." He walked over to her and hugged her tightly. "I love you, just don't keep any more secrets, please."

She nodded and kissed him.

Their team was watching from the windows. They had felt Lettie's terror to tell Dave of her past. The sighed in relief as they saw the couple kiss and hold each other.

Cerise piped up. "I think it's safe for us to go back in."

"Do you think this is going to screw up their marriage?" Amie asked.

"Put it this way, Dave's gonna have a wake up call on some profiling techniques because this changes everything." Dominic stated. "I think they'll work through it."

The rest of the team agreed and slowly made their way back into the boardroom.

"Knock knock. Is it safe to come in?" TJ asked.

Dave mock glared at him. "Yes." He whispered something in Lettie's ear before taking a seat, this time right next to hers. "Okay, so fresh eyes. Lettie, I guess this is where that boss title really comes in handy."

"Okay, so now that all my skeletons are out of the closet, it's time to get down to business." She took the white board marker from Dave's extended hand. "This guy is into the more extreme end of rope bondage. For him, he can't just bind the hands and feet, he needs to bind their breasts, and legs with intricate knots. It's an extreme form of S & M play, but one of the easiest to cover up. The rope can be bought at any hardware store. Most of them prefer hemp rope. Was there any trace pulled from the rope marks?"

Dave looked over the files. "Yeah, they're still running it though."

"Once we have that, we'll know where to start looking for large purchases of rope. Was there rope found at any of the sites?"

The search teams said no.

"Okay, I'll need to look at the marks on the bodies to figure out what types of knots he likes, from there I can determine how much rope he would've needed to buy. Next, the fact that he's moving to slight electro shock play, means this guy has funds. That equipment is not cheap."

Eyebrows arched again.

Lettie grabbed the laptop that was connected to the projector in the room. She typed in a website and selected the equipment. She clicked on the starter kit. It alone was over five hundred dollars. People gasped. "Being into S & M isn't cheap." Lettie said. "That's just the starter kit. There's more advanced stuff available too." She brought up some images of the victims injuries. "This guy had more advanced equipment."

"Boss." Dom raised his hand. "It is possible this guy jerry rigged something to use for this type of electro play?"

Lettie shook her head. "Too dangerous. As much as he wants to kill these women in the end, they need to be alive for the electro play, and he wants them to survive it, and ultimately enjoy it."

As Dave listened to her explain why a person, even an electrical engineer, wouldn't be able to rig something to electro play due to the risks of stopping the heart, he mind flashed back to when Hotch had called about a case involving S & M in Florida. At that point the UNSUB was the wife and she'd send DVDs to the families. He only prayed that this sicko wouldn't take that leap to wage psychological warfare on the families too. He wasn't really sure on how he felt just yet on Lettie's past as a submissive, but it was helping them now. Hopefully they'd catch this guy before they had to resort to drastic measures to catch him.

"So what else can we look for?" Cerise asked.

"I want Amie to pull up the most known sites for this kind of stuff. You can't buy the hard BDSM equipment in stores here. You need to order it online." Lettie took a deep breath to calm herself. "I need two of you to canvas the city and environs for any store that would sell light bondage equipment. Go to every single one of them. I'll give you a list of things to ask about. They'll know who their S & M customers are because that's the type of thing they'll buy or rent in the DVDs. They can't get off on what society calls normal." She turned to face Amie. "If you need any tech support or help sorting through sites and getting access, call Penelope Garcia in Quantico. She'll be able to get passed any firewall or security they have so we can get customer names and accounts."

Amie nodded and set off to start her search. If anyone was going to have a hard time accomplishing their tasks, it was going to be her. Luckily, Penelope would be able to help out. TJ and Meg volunteered to get info from the adult shops in the area. Julian and Cerise would be helping TJ and Meg by getting addresses on every store, and once all the addresses were down, they'd join the hunt. Dom would be helping Amie. Lettie provided each team with a list of things to look for. Everything they'd need to find would have to be available all from the one source. A person this controlling would not want to order from multiple sites or buy from different stores. He needed it all at once and for that, you'd need a single site or store to make one single purchase. Dave would be sitting with Lettie and going over all the evidence.

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><p><em><strong>Meanwhile…<strong>_

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><p>A body rolled down the hill, tarp unwinding as it rolled. The body hit a tree at the bottom of the ravine with a sickening thud. Tires screeched as the dark SU V tore away from the sight, and a cigarette was flicked out the partially opened window. The embers flickering before dying completely in the darkening evening.<p>

A jogger stopped at the sound of tires. She thought there had been an accident, but when she got to the road, there were just tire marks on the pavement with a stench of burnt rubber in the night air. She was about to start on her way again when she saw the tarp. She slowly went down the hill to see what someone had just dumped. When she got to the bottom of the ravine, she saw that it wasn't a what but a who. Her blood-curdling scream filled the night.

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><p><em><strong>Chapter 2, finished. Again a cliffy. I hope you are enjoying it so far. This case isn't going to be the whole story, so if you don't like this part, just wait. We have some family time, and fluffy moments in the future.<strong>_

_**Please read and review**_

_**Love **_

_**Nicole**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: Well, I seem to keep leaving things hanging. Oops… not really… I think the endings help the story build.**_

_**Please read and review. I'd like to know what you think of this one. It's a little out of my forte as I'm doing the research for it as I go.**_

_**Love always **_

_**Nicole**_

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><p>They were about two hours into the profile building when Chief Blair made his appearance in the doorway. Everyone stopped and looked up.<p>

"They found another one." He state dryly. It was if the words needed to be spat out.

Lettie could tell that this case was going to be the hardest one yet. Not because she used to be involved in the world, but because the city hadn't seen anything like this. Ever. She put her tablet down and grabbed her coat. "Let's go guys. When was the body found?"

"About an hour ago. Jogger in the woods. She heard tires screech, and thought there had maybe been an accident, went to check but only saw fleeing tail lights."

The team could guess the rest. She had wandered down into the area to check it out and had found the body. Everyone grabbed their jackets and headed out.

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><p><em><strong>The ravine…<strong>_

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><p>They arrived shortly. The ravine where the latest body had been found wasn't far from the office they were using. They got there, and there were numerous flashing lights. Police cruisers, an ambulance, the coroner as well as a couple fire trucks. Why they needed all these emergency vehicles was beyond anyone's comprehension. All they really needed were searchlights. It was getting darker sooner now, since winter was coming. The cold had set in, and it was going to make processing a scene even harder. The crime scene unit was just finishing when C-BAT arrived.<p>

"All yours." The lead CSI said.

Lettie nodded in acknowledgement. "Thanks guys. Anything you can tell us?"

"Other than this pervert is one twisted S-O-B." He spat to the ground. "What he does to these women is unbelievable."

The Crime Scene team left, and Lettie and her team approached. The victim was laid out the same as all the others. She had the same markings of abuse as the first two, and same electrical burns as the second. Dave examined them. It brought back flashes of a case he'd worked upon his return to the BAU. That UNSUB had wanted to be found. This one was doing everything possible to cover his tracks. The Bureau had almost lost an agent that time, but she'd been reckless and wanting to make a name for herself. He'd told her then how much she reminded him of him. He was afraid the same would happen with Lettie. Especially, since the victims were forced into the lifestyle, and tortured, in the way she used to do for pleasure. He prayed that they wouldn't be needing to do undercover work, or that she'd be able to stay out of the press. She'd told them that once you're in the S & M world, it is very likely people will remember you forever. It was like living in a small town. He cringed at the thought of his wife needing to relive that part of her past. He wouldn't be able to stop her if she put her mind to it. He knew that. She was too stubborn for her own good.

"Rossi!" TJ shouted. "Boss is looking for you."

Dave shook his head. He could see Lettie waving him over. He'd gotten caught up in his thoughts. Something that had been happening a lot more now than it had when they were first married before the twins were born. "Then again her past tried killing her once before." He muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Lettie asked as he approached her near the victim.

"Nothing. Just thinking out loud." He sighed. "Same M.O.?"

Lettie nodded sadly. "Yea. Right down to the electrical marks. This guy knows what he's doing. Condoms, gloves, the whole 9 yards."

Dave noticed something on the victim's neck. "What's that on her neck?"

"Where?"

Dave pointed again. Lettie gently brushed the hair aside. On either side, they could see bruising around her neck. Upon closer examination, he could see they were distinct finger marks. "Did any of the other victims show signs of strangulation?" He asked.

Lettie called Amie. "Did the coroner come up with exact cause of death?"

"She said asphyxiation. There's no specifics." Amie replied.

"Call her up, or go to her and ask if there was any indication of manual strangulation." Lettie ordered politely. "Please."

"You've got it boss."

The line disconnected and Lettie looked to Dave. "This one fought back a little more, or he killed her another way. If the other show bruising under a UV light, it might help, if not, then this just adds to the confusion and frustration for this case."

Dave agreed. "Are you thinking erotic asphyxiation?"

"It is a possibility."

Dave looked at her and tried to phrase the question as carefully as possible. "Did you ever try that?"

Lettie shook her head. "No way. I drew the line at that. After almost being strangled to death, I wasn't about to see strangulation as a turn on."

Dave sighed in relief. At least, she hadn't been hardcore into it. The deepest part of being a submissive in this world is literally doing everything your master demands, no matter how dangerous or life threatening it may seem. Lettie had been submissive but within her own limits. This was good. He'd be questioning everything a lot deeper now. His wife was their key, but how far would she be willing to go to catch the UNSUB, and how far was he willing to let her go?

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><p><em><strong>The next day…<strong>_

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><p>The coroner had completed the autopsy as soon as the body had arrived. The other victims had died by manual strangulation, and the bruises had never had time to develop. This victim was different. She'd fought back, causing manual strangulation to fail. It had left her with bruises though. It brought back the idea of erotic asphyxiation. It was the only thing that really fit as to why someone would have fingerprints around their neck but not die from it. The first two victims had died by strangulation, probably because the UNSUB wasn't fully experienced yet. By his third victim, he'd managed to keep her alive long enough.<p>

Dave went down with Dom and Lettie to the office to receive the report and official cause of death.

The coroner was waiting for them. She handed Dave the file. "She died as asphyxiation as well, but not manual strangulation like the others."

Lettie looked over the file with Dave. "She was smothered?"

"It's the only thing that makes any sense. Her mouth and nose were covered and he killed her that way."

"Any trace evidence?" Dom asked taking the file from Dave's hand.

The coroner nodded. "A small sample of what was like rubbed was found between two of her teeth. She bit into something and managed to get a piece of."

"Do you have the piece?" Lettie asked.

The coroner handed her a small envelope and Lettie took it. She examined the small trace. She sighed. "I think I know what this is. Thank-you Doctor." She turned to leave.

The doctor replied. "You're welcome. I'll send you more details once I complete the official report."

The trio left.

"Boss, what is that stuff?" Dom asked pointing to the envelope.

Lettie stopped walking. "If I'm write this will be either silicon or rubber from a ball gag."

"So in other words, smothering could be his way of ensuring the victims are silent."

"Not only that." Lettie swallowed. "He wants them to 100% submissive to him. By fighting back, they're ruining his fantasy."

The two men followed her silently back to headquarters. They needed to rethink their strategy and profile.

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><p><em><strong>Meanwhile…<strong>_

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><p>He was looking around. He couldn't find the perfect one. One like the one he'd let go all those years ago. She'd been perfect. She did whatever he asked, and whatever he commanded. "That's the way a woman should be." He thought to himself. "Completely obedient."<p>

His first had been that way, until the day she told him she was pregnant. That wouldn't do. His needs came before hers, and he certainly didn't need any children. So he took her for an abortion, and like a good woman, she listened and got one. Then that doctor had botched it and she'd died. His perfect woman was gone, and now he needed someone to take her place. His needs needed to be filled, and not one woman was able to meet them since.

Suddenly a glint of auburn caught his eye. A petite woman with a lithe body was walking down the street carefree. Her eyes seemed to beg him to take her. He watched as she walked right past him. He looked her body over. Curves were all in the right place for the rope play and being so fit, he'd be able to do other things. He smiled slightly. He'd found her, now to make her realize how badly she needed him.

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><p><em><strong>Dave and Lettie's…<strong>_

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><p>"Dave!" Lettie shouted from the bathroom.<p>

Dave rushed in. "What's wrong?"

"Elena decided Mommy needed a bath too." She said, bubbles dripping down her face. "Can you help me out here?"

Dave snickered. "Why is it that our little angels love to cover you in bubbles?"

"Mémé!" Elena squealed.

"What does Mémé tell you?" Lettie asked. Elena admired her grandmothers, they spoiled her, but not to the point of her being a brat, just enough to raise a little hell with her parents. Much to the same way that Lettie had been raised.

Just then Brennan and Calleigh peeked around the corner. "We know!" They shouted in unison.

"We're outnumbered, bella." Dave exclaimed.

"They're only children Dave." Mama Rossi said from the hallway. She'd been playing with the twins before bedtime.

The adults laughed, and the children not knowing why started to laugh too. The musical tones of their voices brought some ease to Lettie and Dave. The dark material of this case would affect their moods, but their children knew how to make them better.

Dave looked to his older children. "What did Mémé tell you?"

"When life give you twoubles." Brennan started.

"Bow bubbles!" Calleigh finished.

This brought about more laughter. It had been Bernadette's famous saying since Lettie had been about 19. "When life gives you troubles, blow bubbles." The kids, on the other hand, took it literally. They could see that their parents were upset, so they'd blow bubbles at them to make them feel better.

"I guess Mémé's right." Dave said as he finished toweling off Elena. "Okay, bedtime stories, then you three monkeys are going nighty night."

"Yay!" Brennan exclaimed, rushing out of the bathroom.

"Story!" Calleigh shouted following suit.

Elena wiggled in his arm. "Story, daddy! Story!"

"Anything for you guys." He kissed her rosy cheeks. "Daddy will tell you a story, while mommy gets rid of her bubbles."

Lettie laughed a little as se grabbed a dry towel wiped off the bubbles. At least their children were happy, healthy and energetic. It was one less thing they'd have to worry about. If only they could wrap up this case, because it was changing their marriage and Lettie was scared she'd lose him.

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><p><em><strong>AN: So that completes Chapter 3. A little bit of fluff to ease it up a bit. More to come soon. Thanks to those who have reviewed the story so far. Glad you're enjoying it.**_

_**If you could, please click that little review button and let me know what you think!**_

_**Love Always**_

_**Nicole**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A new chapter… finally! I know it's been a super long time since I've updated any of my stories and I apologize. Been busy with moving, starting my career and getting married. I know it's been two years or so since I last worked in this, but I did have notes down. So today is a sick day, and I've decided you need an update and I need something to get my mind off of being on bed rest. We're going to pick up right about where we left off in Chapter 3. Just to make sure there is no confusion, this story is in no way inspired by "Fifty Shades of Grey." **_

_**My best to all of you**_

_**Nicole**_

_**Suddenly a glint of auburn caught his eye. A petite woman with a lithe body was walking down the street carefree. Her eyes seemed to beg him to take her. He watched as she walked right past him. He looked her body over. Curves were all in the right place for the rope play and being so fit, he'd be able to do other things. He smiled slightly. He'd found her, now to make her realize how badly she needed him.**_

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><p><em>The petite auburn woman had rounded the corner to a small bookstore. He followed her in and watched as she went to the "Employees Only" door and slipped inside. When she came out, he was checking out books on Japanese cuisine. The cooking section was right next to the till. He looked at her nametag. It read "Nikki". He observed her out of the corner of his eye. He was watching her confidence, her mannerisms and her attitude. He wanted to be able to get in her head. He wanted her to want him, and this time it would work. He would take his time with this one. She was perfect… She was the ONE.<em>

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><p>Dave looked to his wife. She had just come into their room after cleaning up the mess in the bathroom. She looked exhausted. She wasn't glowing as much as she had with the other pregnancies. This one was taking a major toll on her. Not only was she pregnant, she was being constantly reminded of her past. He walked over to her. "Babe, you can talk to me." He whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her.<p>

She sighed. She knew this was coming. She hadn't opened up completely to Dave yet. She didn't know what to say. Trying to explain her life in the world of BDSM was like trying to explain how water tasted. Not that that was the best comparison available. "I know Dave." She turned to face him. "But it's not that easy."

"Try." He kissed her. "I'm not going anywhere."

She removed her robe and sat on the bed. _What am I supposed to tell him? _She thought. _Am I supposed to tell him that I loved to be tied up and whipped or gagged and bound? Am I supposed to tell him I begged to be spanked or have things put in places that the 'normal' person would never ever consider?_ A single tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm scared."

Dave sat next to her and he could feel her shiver at his touch. She was terrified. He could only imagine what she was thinking.

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><p><em>He walked up to her and asked her advice on a certain book he was looking for. She explained that if she didn't have it in stock, she could order it in. She also explained that it might take a little while to order in. When he asked why, she explained that she was the owner of the small shop. He flirted with her a little more. She blushed at his compliments and he could tell that he intrigued her. He had her, now to reel her in. "I may be a little forward, but maybe you'd like to go for coffee or gelato sometime."<em>

_She didn't know what to say. It had been a long time since anyone had asked her out. She was told regularly to take a chance on life, maybe now was the time to actually listen to that advice. "Sure. That would be great." She smiled shyly._

_He did an inner cheer. He jotted down his information and left her his card. "I'll give you a call tomorrow after work to set up a time." He gently took her hand and kissed it. "I'm looking forward to it." He slowly left the store, knowing all to well she was watching his every move. She was completely mesmerized by him and his plan had worked. He'd go slower, and he'd guarantee those pesky investigators would never find him. He smiled at Nikki and walked out. He had some minor renovations to do and he had to get them done quickly as to guarantee that she'd be able to commence training immediately._

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><p>"Dave it's hard to explain." She wiped another tear away from her cheek.<p>

"Bella, I understand that. I'm waiting for you. Tell me who got you into this?" Dave was hoping that by getting her to start somewhere, she'd be able to disclose more of her past.

Lettie took in a deep breath and spoke very softly. "His name was Grimm."

Dave looked at her in shock. "Are you kidding me?"

Lettie shock her head. "No. That was his name. I saw his license and birth certificate. I met him at a bookstore when I was 20. Brennan and I had been on a break. I was struggling with my sexuality. After Joe, I thought I was only good for sex." Another tear rolled down her cheek. She brushed it away and continued. "Brennan was in the middle of training and he didn't want a sexually driven relationship so we called it off temporarily." She took a deep breath and all the memories came flooding back.

_It was a tiny bookstore not far from her apartment. She'd gone with a friend to find a new Star Wars novel. She was a geek but she tended to stay on the down low about it. She didn't want to get teased more than she did now. Suddenly she spotted the book she'd been looking for. As she was reaching for it, another hand reached for it as well and their hands touched. There was a spark that jolted her. She looked up and gazed into piercing blue eyes. He apologized and offered her the book. "I've read it before, you take it." He smiled. They chatted for a while, then he took her for coffee. _

"We started dating." She sighed. "After our second date, he told me how he was into slight rope bondage. I asked him if he'd ever be able to show me." Those memories were harder to explain. "One night, after his work, he came over and had brought me rope. He showed me some intricate knots to bind my hands or my ankles. Eventually, he also started talking about binding my breasts. Being curious, I let him. Slowly it began to excite me."

Dave took a very deep breath. This was a lot of information to absorb in this short amount of time. He knew that Lettie wasn't this girl anymore, but he also had decades of profiling that told him that a person this submissive was also not mentally stable and possibly could even flip into a psychotic or sociopathic attitude. His love and knowledge of Lettie as his wife and the mother of his children was overpowering his profiling skills. "Okay, so if I understand this right, you liked the bondage aspect of the relationship?"

Lettie nodded. "It was more than just that. Eventually, he began to gag me, blindfold me. It was to heighten the experience. Eventually, he'd literally bend me over his knee and spank me until my ass was red and it hurt to sit." She cringed. She swore there were still marks from those days. He'd experiment with clamps and other toys. Eventually I was so compliant, I'd beg for more. It felt good to be needed."

"How did he need you?" Dave asked.

"If I didn't get off on the pain, he wouldn't actually fuck me. He wouldn't get off. In a way, I was a switch."

Dave knew that in the BDSM world, a switch was a person who could act as both the dominant and submissive partner. To be one was quite rare. To complicate matters, it led to a more complex profile. He didn't know what to make of this. He still loved her and the woman she was describing wasn't the woman he married. "Okay. I'm with you so far." He rubbed the small of her back to ease her nerves.

Lettie wasn't sure if she should keep explaining or just stop. "It continued. He bought me extravagant gifts and took me places. I enjoyed it. I was introduced to his family and that wasn't normal… at least in the BDSM world."

Dave looked at her in confusion as she explained that doms kept their subs away from their personal lives.

"One day, I asked if there was ever going to be more to the relationship. Grimm said no. I was just a plaything. By this point, Brennan and I were mending our relationship so I was fine. We went our separate ways."

"I have a feeling that perhaps Brennan found out about this?" Dave prodded. He wanted to know if his wife's deceased husband knew that she had had a very unique fetish.

"He knew. He caught me the one night."

"With the Dom?"

Lettie had to smile a little. "No, not with Grimm. He caught me looking at BDSM porn on my laptop."

Dave pondered how many women actually looked at porn while in relationships and never got caught. He'd have to ask Reid or Dominic about it.

Lettie could see Dave had a question. "No, Dave I don't miss the lifestyle anymore. No more porn, no dreams, no anything."

Dave had to smile. She could always read him like a book. "Does that explain the Fifty Shades series in your nightstand?"

"It's a novel. Not a fantasy."

Dave had a light bulb go on. "Could this guy be using Fifty Shades as a prop or something?"

Lettie shook her head. "It's no where near as hard core as this guy, but perhaps there's other literature out the to help them out on this case." She was thankful that Dave's questions weren't focused as much on her past as it was on the case.

"Is that everything about the past?" Dave asked. "I want to understand everything."

Lettie grimaced. "I explained it to Brennan. He asked me if I would still be needing that type of attention because he wasn't sure he'd be able to give it to me."

Dave looked to her as if to say _"Well, what did you answer?"_

Lettie hated this part. "I told him I wasn't sure. That I had never even thought about this until I had met Grimm. I said that I had an occasional urge, but I didn't dare act on it." She took a deep breath. "It took me until a month before the wedding to get it completely out of my system. I haven't had an urge since then."

Dave pulled her in closely. "It's over. You'll never have to worry about this again."

"Kinda hard isn't it? We're in the middle of a case involving almost exact details from my past."

Dave turned to her. "Do you think it could be your old dom?"

"Grimm?" Lettie had to think deep. "No, I don't think so. I think he'd be a great help for details."

"You want to bring him in as a consultant?" The tone of Dave's voice told Lettie that he wasn't a fan of that idea.

"Only if we desperately need him. The BDSM world is tight. He probably knows the guy."

"What's the likelihood that you met him, bella?" Dave kissed her forehead.

"It possible. The clubs we went to for some of this stuff had lots of people. If I had more info, I could compile a list." Lettie rubbed her temples. Her head was hurting. "This is all way too much to absorb all at once. I just hope this is the last time my past reappears."

"To be perfectly honest with you, I really hope so too. I'd like for us to raise our family peacefully after a while."

The couple went to admire their sleeping children before calling it a night.

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><p><em>He was thrilled. He looked through his album of his former attempts. He landed on one picture. He gently touched the woman's cheek. She had been great. She loved all of it. There was just that one thing that hadn't worked out. He never understood it. He shut the album and stood up. He put it on the shelf behind his clothes in the closet. He looked at his bedside table and admired the one that he had managed to push out of his life. It was his fault she was gone… if only he could bring her back. He thought back to the auburn haired beauty from the bookstore. She was exactly what he needed. Now to convince her of how much she really needed him. He pulled out the chest he did under his bed. He opened it and smiled. He needed a few new items. He closed the chest and put it back. He grabbed his jacket, turned out the lights and headed out to finalize his collection.<em>

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><p><em><strong>That's where I'll leave it be for now. More to come very soon. Hope you enjoy this. I know it's been a long time coming! Please read and review!<strong>_


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